Ashes to Ashes
by crimson wombat
Summary: this is what's going on a couple of years before the movie. Three of the brothers have moved to canada for a year and end up going back over everything they'd had to go through in their lives when they meet two girls who have never known such screwed up l


Chapter 1:

Jazz music set the mood, flowing through the maze of tunnels, making passers by feel as though they were swaying on some far away ship instead of stuck in a filthy metro station at midnight. The normally crowded station was now deserted save for two young girls who sat in silence on a bench covered in graffiti, streaks of dirt lining the walls like some poor attempt at a decorative motif.

The two felt safer in each other's company, the metro had never been a particularly safe place and alone in the middle of the night would just make it worse. It was late and they were tired and just wanted to go home and sleep all day. New Years was fast approaching and they counted themselves luck they managed to only have to spend Christmas with their families.

They both tensed considerably at the sound of footsteps coming into the station and a male figure appeared. He was a dark and brooding character, the hood of his sweater that was stuffed under a puckishly decorated jean jacket covered his head down over his eyes. His hands were stuffed deep into his pockets and his shoulders were hunched almost like he was trying to hide from something. Almost like he wanted the shadows to swallow him whole and then spit him out as something different over and over again.

Faith and Paige new enough to figure that a book is never like its cover but the setting certainly made them wary of this new character. They both jumped at the sound of a pair of voices shouting the name of the guy now standing at the end of the station. The girls hadn't caught the name; they were two busy being scared of the next two figures to enter the scene. One was large and buff. He was of African American decent, the girls could see, and his tree branch size arms were covered in a thick winter coat with the typical fake fur around the edge of the hood. However his shaved head was clearly visible. The second character had his hair slicked back and his thinner looking jacket was slung on almost carelessly, but just judging from the way he walked and the look on his face it was clear that he was the rock in the situation. Not chiseled from boulders like his comrade but he was stronger in a deeper place.

The two guys reached their target soon enough and the loud banter of friendly male bullying coupled with the jazz music rose almost high enough to quiet the sound of the metro train approaching. They got into separate cars and that was the end. They didn't see the guys again that night.

The following evening the girls walked into the metro station again. A new musician had taken his post at the stairs though no one noticed as usual. The beggars were the ghosts, the eyes and ears that lived in the walls but they never seemed able to voice anything but music or please for charity. Christmas was the season of good will but there was only so far their paychecks would allow them to go. They sat in the same benches again waiting for the train expecting the usual nothingness that had been interrupted the previous night before they realized the figure who was already standing by the wall at the end of the station. He had his hood back this time, his wild hair standing up on his head. He had his face turned away as he hunched over more to light a cigarette. Before long the other two from the night before appeared again.

They were slightly quieter than the night before. Not in the mood to party as much Paige guessed. The two sat stiffly waiting with a certain fear for the train that was really taking its time. In the meantime Paige was trying not to choke on the fumes from the cigarette and Faith was getting annoyed. The first guy finally finished his cigarette and then took out another one. At this point Faith couldn't take it anymore, how long was she going to have to sit here waiting for this bloody train.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd stop poisoning my air." She sneered loudly. The guys shut up and turned to look at her.

"Why should I?" The first male turned blue eyes on them.

"First of all, there's a no smoking sign that you clearly can't identify because you're two thick." Faith really didn't give a damn what happened anymore, that was the last thing she was thinking about. "And second that toxic shit you're making everyone inhale is more dangerous for the people who AREN'T getting it first hand." She stopped, reason was catching up to her brain and suddenly she was really afraid. She'd done it again.

Paige just looked at her and then back at the guys, whom she noticed, were bigger, stronger, and there were also more of them. Faith really needed anger management classes.

The guys remained silent just looking at the two sitting there. That's when the train mercifully came and they went their separate ways.

"You are quite possibly clinically insane, you know that?" Paige almost cried.

"Yeah." Faith was still marveling over her own stupidity. "Some one should lock me up and throw away the key." She added quietly.

"Just don't do it again and then I'll forgive you."

Faith didn't answer, was she that tired? She wanted to just go to bed. Christmas was always too hectic and both she and her friend were beginning to hate the season.

Getting off the train the girls walked up the dark boulevard that lead to Notre Dames Square (this is in Montreal for those who are wondering). It was really cold but the girls kept walking until they got to their little run down building. It was like all the others tall and skinny, two stories not including the cramped attic. The inside was tidy though and warmer than the street where snow was beginning to drift onto he already foot deep pile on the street. (The snow blower only came by once a week).

"I'm making hot chocolate. Want some?" Faith announced.

"That sounds good." Paige said rubbing the feeling back into her hands.

Berrie was the one of the many transition stations. In this case, three lines connected at this spot, which caused a huge maze for people to find their way through if they didn't already know where they were going. It was night again, and a Paige and Faith walked down the tunnel heading for the orange line and home. They were each inwardly praying for the guys from before to not be there. Suddenly the three of them appeared on either side of the girls scaring them half to death.

"Going our way." The guy with the slicked hair asked with an unnerving grin.

"Not if I can help it." Faith said under her breath.

"What was that sweetheart?" The blue eyed one said putting an arm around her shoulders. That was the last straw. Paige saw him touch her all too late and watched helplessly as Faith (on a reflex) slammed her fist into his jaw. He stopped a little stunned at first then smiled.

"You got quite a right arm there sweetheart." He said again.

"Uh I think we're getting on the wrong train don't you Faith?" Paige said quickly involuntarily saying her best friends name. Faith was still trying to make sense of the fact that she'd just hit the guy after yelling at him for smoking. She'd always had an aggressive behavior around the opposite sex. Not always ready to let them get close to her in ANY way. She tended to lash out on impulse at the slightest touch unless she had invited it.

"Come on let's go." Paige grabbed Faith's arm and began to march her in the other direction. She wasn't entirely sure where they were going but Faith would help her figure it out when she snapped out of her daze.

"Shit I did it again." She swore at herself.

"Hey, hey, hey, hang on a minute." The boulder said catching up to them. "What the hell you running from?"

"You!" Faith said, now grabbing Paige's arm and trying to get around him.

"What are we gonna do to you?" The slick haired guy asked almost gliding over to them.

"Well if we consider the worst case scenario that would be rape, torture and kill." Paige said.

"So have a lovely evening I hope I never see you again, good-bye." Faith added again trying to escape.

"Do we look like we would 'rape, torture, and kill' you?" Blue eyes asked sincerely.

"Do you honestly want me to answer that question?" Faith crossed her arms.

"Well I wouldn't talk, you both look like girls with pasts yourselves." It was true. Faith had had a dark turn in her life that she couldn't really explain, but it left her always in darker clothes, her hair was black as pitch on it's underside and it was a deep blood red on top riddled with black streaks that made her dark green eyes stand out. It also went well with her freckles that looked faded next to the darkness of her hair. Her timid friend was a bit more on the colorful side, with dark brown and blond hair (also dyed) but had this retro way about her in a darker kind of way that was slightly suggestive that she had also been through an 'episode'.

"Key word in there. We are girls. You are guys. Bigger, stronger, and more of you." Paige added.

"So?" The boulder crossed his arms not even needing to take a full step to block any further retreat.

"So we aren't inclined to trust you?" Faith fired up again. "Now get out of my way."

"Well if you're so scared of us then why are you treating us with such little respect?" the guy with slicked back hair grinned some more.

"Well she'd already mouthed off at you and hit him so how much worse can it get?" Paige sighed.

"Your confidence in me is so very heart warming." Faith sneered back.

"Maybe we got off on the wrong foot." Blue eyes said, "lets go wait for the train O.K. We aren't evil don't worry."

"Unfortunately that can't be helped." Faith muttered to Paige who really wanted someone anyone to show up right now and give them a hand.

"Oh and we understand big words by the way." The guy with the slicked hair added. "By the way I'm Bobbie." (Finally, I was sick of calling him by his title it was getting old, so were the others).

"Jack." Blue eyes saluted.

"Angel." The boulder added from behind them.

"Now I think we've gathered that you are Faith and you are?" Jack looked at Paige walking backwards ahead of them.

"My names Paige." she gave in reluctantly. "And you're going to fall onto the tracks if you're not careful." She added.

"See we're already helping each other already." Bobbie chuckled.

"You people aren't from around here are you?" Faith said.

"That depends on where 'around here is'." Jack laughed falling onto a bench with the kind of grace that could hardly be called that.

"What makes you say that anyway?" Angel sighed as they all took seats alongside Jack.

"Well firstly, your in Montreal, QUEBEC of all places and you speak amazing English so unless you're a tourist, you're either an immigrant or your parents brought you up that way like ours did." Paige deduced.

"And you aren't like most people we see daily on the metro. Everyone else seems to try to blend into the walls. Pretend that they don't really exist or something."

"Well you're right, we're from the states." Bobbie answered, "And these are my two brothers." They stopped as though waiting for some reaction of disbelief that didn't come.

"Well that happens a lot. We're considered sisters actually, it was just a joke at first because we knew each other so well and then it became some sort of a reality for people." Paige looked at her hands willing the train to come mentally pulling it towards her. And as it did come hurtling down the track the guys smiled and said a pleasant goodbye (as pleasant as possible) and they went their separate ways.

The next few nights passed much the same way, minus the kidnapping routine. The girls discovered that the three had been living in a youth hostel for the past weeks including while they had been at home for Christmas on the south shore. The boys in turn found out that laying a finger on Faith would probably mean pain in a very sensitive area and that Paige never really could relax since she often had anxiety attacks and her nerves just couldn't be helped. But Faith had learned to get along with this part of Paige and Paige had learned the same with Faith's anger that apparently caused anorexia at one point of her life. It, on occasion would return and she would refuse to sleep, but she'd get over it on her own. That the guys could deal with but they wouldn't hear of the girls spending New Years alone and told the girls to meet them at a bar on St. Denis Street (a place they'd newly discovered).

"We can't promise anything." Paige said.

"You'll be there." Jack said assuredly.

"Right." Faith said sarcastically as the train came up to their stop. They had begun actually ridding in the same car, which was a step towards friendly.

Faith and Paige threw themselves inside as they reached their home the blizzard outside slamming into the door as they closed it behind them. Sitting down with hot chocolate a little while later they settled in front of the Friday night news.

"I don't know I want to spend new years here, here's cozy, here's home." Faith said drowsily from where she was sprawled over an armchair that was mismatched from the couch on which Paige lay, curled in a blanket.

"Mmmhmm." She answered. "We can just make up a story for the guys on Monday." Paige said changing the channel to something a bit more interesting that a backed up highway.

"They're gonna see right through it. They have that way about them." Faith said.

"Probably, but what are we supposed to do? Bring them here maybe?" She laughed and went silent looking thoughtful.

"They're not coming here." Faith obliterated that idea right there. Or so she thought.

"I don't like it either, but they haven't given us a reason to NOT trust them. In fact I almost do."

"That's what bothers me." Faith retorted. "We barely know these guys and yet we feel inclined to trust them. And we above all people are the ones who almost never have faith in anyone."

"I love the irony every time you use that word." Silence followed Paige's remark.

"It is New Years. We can rent some movies or something and then we'll go to the bar and get bring them over." Faith said.

"Sure." They both sounded unsure but whatever they thought as the blizzard continued to pound at their windows with them safely tucked inside.


End file.
